Investment Opportunity

Instead of skiing or skating on ice, people can ski/skate over a powerful magnetic surface - just like the Maglev Train, developed in Germany.

A commercial Maglev Train is running for example in China for about 30 Km between Shanghai city and Shanghai (Pudong International) Airport. The German Government has recently (November 2011) closed the Maglev Program due to lack of new orders (It is a costlier technology compared to the conventional train).

However, Maglev Skating will become very popular as it will save energy required to maintain the ice on an ice rink.

Retired German Maglev engineers can be recruited to fulfil this project.

The bottom-sole of an ice-skating/skiing will be fitted with a powerful (neodymium) magnet of the same polarity as that of the magnetic-floor. Since magnets of the same polarity repel each other, the skiers/skaters will be minutely elevated above the surface, resulting in virtually no friction.

Competitive Advantage

A Maglev-rink will become more popular than Ice-rinks as there is virtually no friction in Maglec-skating compared to ice-skating. Also, a lot of energy which is wasted in preserving the ice (in ice rinks) will be saved in a Maglev rink.

Maglev rinks can be established in warm climates of Tropical/Equatorial countries whereas ice rinks are simply not feasible in hot areas due to the high cost incurred in preventing the ice from melting.

I think that Maglev Rinks will make ice rinks extinct even in Temperate (cold) countries.